“Five Questions With…” is a series of profiles of recent CJC graduates and the career paths they chose.

Olivia Clark, B.S. Advertising 2020

1. Tell us about your current job.

I am project coordinator at RPA, an advertising agency based in Santa Monica, California. I work as an internal lead on projects. I act as the glue between the account team and the internal team in terms of relaying/flagging information about projects I am involved in. I keep the project on track and moving forward.  On an average day, I create project schedules, create estimates and rate sheets to keep track of costs (whether in scope or out of scope), I create and run internal meetings, and essentially keep the project pushing through on time.

2. Why did you choose to come to the UF College of Journalism and Communications?

When I came to UF, I actually was an “exploratory” major, AKA “undecided.” I knew I really liked communications, so I took classes in each of the majors I was interested in, Telecom, PR, and Advertising (I knew I did not want to do Journalism). Of the three intro classes, advertising stood out the most to me. I liked the idea of being in a creative environment even if I wasn’t necessarily creating the work.

3. How did your time at CJC help prepare you for this current position?

I definitely remember the Copywriting and Visualization course I had with [former Advertising Lecturer] Benny Torres. It was an unconventional class where he mimicked what an ad agency would be like. We had creative decks, we had brainstorming sessions, days were not necessarily outlined and scheduled, just as it happens in an agency. Your days can look very different depending on what your projects are, especially if you’re putting out fires.

4. Was there a defining moment, personally or professionally, at CJC that set you on your current path?

I would say my defining moment was from the Copywriting and Visualization course. That course really outlined all the different roles in an all-encompassing way. Benny had guest speakers, and it was where I learned about account management. I never really heard of it because all of the other courses were about strategy, research, media, law, ethics. Although it’s hard to have a class on account management. It’s more of something you have to experience. I’m obviously not in accounts, but, for a while, that was what I wanted to do until I learned about project management.

5. What advice do you have for students interested in pursuing a career in advertising?

My advice is to make connections, anywhere and everywhere. It really is about who you know, even just a little bit. I graduated during the pandemic when internships were canceled, but I went on LinkedIn and found other opportunities where I was able to connect and set up informational interviews with people. A lot of my interviews came from people coming back and remembering me from our conversations. The advertising world is kind of small in the grand-scheme of things.  People know people and can connect you with others and a lot of the time they want to help you out.

Posted: November 18, 2021
Category: Careers, Five Questions With...
Tagged as: Olivia Clark, RPA